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Riggo’s Rag Mailbag: Red zone, Redskins record, and more

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 30: Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts after a tackle for loss against the Louisville Cardinals during the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bulldogs won 31-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 30: Montez Sweat #9 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts after a tackle for loss against the Louisville Cardinals during the TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bulldogs won 31-27. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Rawlings82: Looking at the roster as it sits right now, what position groups do you feel the Redskins should focus on in the first round in next years draft?

This question is tough to answer solely because it’s unknown how the Redskins young players progress and what the team does in free agency. So, let’s dive into a number of possibilities.

As it stands, the biggest glaring hole on the Redskins roster is at left guard. That said, it seems unlikely that the Redskins will spend a first round pick on guard again, as they already invested in Brandon Scherff and the interior offensive line class in 2019 looks merely decent at this time. That said, they could go after a tackle/guard hybrid like Wisconsin’s Michael Dieter, but it still seems that they would focus on a Day 2 or Day 3 option at the position.

The other position that could become a need is rush linebacker. The Redskins are set to see both Preston Smith and Pernell McPhee hit free agency. And if they lose both, and in particular, Smith, they will need to add some help on the edge. Even if Ryan Anderson improves enough to be trusted as a starter, they will have virtually no depth and Ryan Kerrigan will be heading into his age 31 season.

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    • Thankfully, the pass rushing talent in the 2019 draft is excellent, so they might have a shot at landing a potential starter. If they are picking in the late teens/early 20s, as most fans hope, a guy like Montez Sweat out of Mississippi State would be a sensible target, but it’s possible he could be off the board by then. The early selections may be dominated by defensive linemen/edge rushers, so counting on a top talent to be there for the Redskins is a bit risky. But there is plenty of talent and depth at the position to be sure.

    Some more under-the-radar needs are corner, wide receiver, and quarterback. Corner could be addressed if none of the young players live up to their hype and the team releases Josh Norman due to his huge cap number. Similarly, if Josh Doctson fails to live up to his potential, the Redskins may elect to part with him and could lose Jamison Crowder. In that case, grabbing a guy to pair with Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn seems like a strong option.

    Quarterback is always the position to watch on an Alex Smith led team. While Smith still has a few years left in him, the Redskins could fall in love with a quarterback prospect and groom him as Smith’s replacement. It would probably be better to wait until the loaded 2020 draft to target a first round quarterback, but if Colt McCoy leaves in free agency, it’s something that can’t be counted out.

    The Redskins have many options in the draft right now. As player values and roster needs get more established on both sides, it will become clearer. But to maximize value, based on where they’re picking, an edge rusher makes the most sense at this point in time.

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